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(No Modem 5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

D. D. WEISELL. LABELING MACHINE.

1%.. 597,570. Patented Jan. 13, 1898.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets- Sheet 2.

D. D. WEISELL. LABELING MAGHINE.

No. 597,570. Patented Jan. 18, 1898.

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(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

DD. WEISBLL.

LABELING MACHINE.

No. 597,570. Patented Jan. 18,1898.

FIGS.

FIG.8.

#MZZW (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

D. D.- WEISELL.

LABELING MACHINE. No. 597,570. Patented Jan. 18, 1898.

ATTORNEY.

1m; nonms PETERS on} vnnraumu. wAsmusmu, u c.

NITED STATES ATENT @rrrca DAVID D. XVEISELL, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALEXANDER S. LAUFERTY, OF SAME PLACE.

LABELING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 597,570, dated January 18, 1898.

Application filed April 17, 1896. Serial No. 587,901. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, DAVID I). W'EISELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort XVayne, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Labeling-lilachines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in labeling-machines and its objects are to provide an improved machine that shall be automatic in its operation, shall coat the surface to be labeled with a coating of mucilage the size and shape of the label, deliver labels singly upon the coated surface, and press the label down upon such surface firmly, be easily operated, and uniform in its operation; and the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter described, pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device. Fig. 2 is an end View of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the labeling devices, showing the position of the bottles beneath them. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views showing the construction of the apertures in the bottom of the mucilage-holder. Fig. 6 is'a view of a bottle with the central part of the label adhering to it as delivered by the label'holder. Fig. 7 is a perspective of the mucilage-case. Fig. 8 is a view of a bottle with two labels pressed down firmly in place by the labelpresser. Fig. 9 is a detail of the operatinglever withthe double reversible ratchets in one position. Fig. 10 is a detail view of the same detail as Fig. 9 with the double ratchets in a reversed position. Fig. 11 is a detail of the jaws on the carrier. Fig. 12 is a side view of the label-holder and its connecting springratchet device and also showing a side view of the automatic label-supporter. Fig. 13 is a front view of Fig. 12. Figs. 14, 15, and 16 are details of the connecting spring-ratchet device for securing the label-holder adjustably to the plunger.

Similar numerals of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The main features of my invention consist of an endless carrier adapted to support the articles to be labeled and provided with means to hold such articles in place while the carrier conveys them to, under, and beyond the labeling devices, means to operate the carrier and give it automatically an intermittent motion, so that the article to be labeled is held stationary at the moment of being operated upon by the labeling devices, oneamucilage-case adapted to deliver a coatin g of mucilage of a given form and size upon the article to be labeled, the second a labelholder adapted to deliver a single separate label upon said mucilage surface, and, third, a label-presser adapted to press the entire surface of the label firmly in place upon the article to be labeled, and means to operate the labeling devices automatically upon the articles to be labeled as they are severally brought in place underneath them by the carrier.

Describing the machine as illustrated for a bottle-labeler, but not confining myself to such use, the preferable construction is as follows: The carrier 17 is an endless belt, preferably of firm rubber of suitable width to properly support a series of bottles 18, placed transversely upon it. Cross-bars 19,

provided with slots through which the belting passes, are placed at suitable distances apart and secured to the belting. These distances are determined by the space required for the bottle. These cross-bars 19 extend beyond the carrier 17 on both sides, the extensions 19 being preferably rounded, forming journals 20 at their ends. These journals 20 are held at fixed distances apart by flat metal links 21, provided with eyes 22 at each end, through which the journals 20 pass, thereby making an endless link chain on each side of the carrier-belt. Beyond these links the projecting journals or extensions of the crossbars rest in bearings in the ends of lugs 23, attached to the rims of the wheels 24, from which the lugs 23 project radially. Using two wheels on one axle for the carrier would give it a rotary motion, but I prefer to construct two sets of wheels 24'and mount them, respectively, on two axles 25, which revolve in bearings in the frame 26, whereby the axles 25 are separated from each other at sufficient distances apart to permit the carrier 17 to assume a horizontal plane under the labeling devices. I provide means to hold the bottles or articles to be labeled upon the carrier thus mounted, which holders consist, preferably, of spring-jaws 27, attached firmly to the crossbars 19 at both ends and between the links 21 and the carrier 17. These jaws 27 are in series and adapted in shape to grasp and hold a bottle 18 firmlyon one side at the neck and at the other side to hold the bottle near its base.

The bottle 18 is grasped firmly when on the horizontal plane of the carrier. As the carrier 17 passes around up and over the front wheel the spring-jaws 27, being rigidly attached to the cross-bars 19, open from each other radially, so as to receive the bottles, and they close as they pass the wheels on to the horizontal plane, and they open again as they pass over the wheel at the other end of the machine and thereby discharge the bottle. These spring-jaws 27 are preferably made of wire. One end of the wire is wrapped around the cross-bar 19 firmly and then wrapped with a looser coil to form a spring to the clamping portion, which is conformed to the shape of the bottle in cross-sections, as shown. The alternate tops of these jaws 27' are connected by a link 28, so as to form them in series of two each, as shown. The bottom of each series is also connected by the same wire, forming the jaw, extended continuously from one cross-bar to the other one in each series, respectively, forming a bottom connection 29, which assists in bracing the holder and is shown in Fig. 11. Thus constructed thejaws 27 can be adjusted on the cross-bar 19 laterally by moving them inward or outward on the rounded extensions 19 to accommodate them to bottles of different length.

The preferable means to operate the carrier 17 where its movement is not rotary is as follows: The power is applied to lugs 30 by means of a lever 31 engaging them alternately. The ends 42 of the cross-bars 19, above described, may be used for such lugs; but for the purpose of providing means for using a bifurcated lever I prefer to use independent rods placed and secured to the carrier 17 so that a projected end 30 passes through orifices in each alternate link 21, centrally between the cross-bars 19, forming such lugs 30. A lever of'the third class is used for this operation and is shown in Figs. 1, 9, and 10. To operate the lever 31, I construct a crank-shaft 33, (see Fig. 10,) which is journaled in bearings 34 in the sides of the frame 26, centrally between the axles 25 of the wheels 24 (see Fig. 1) and to which the lever 31 is piv-. oted at one end. The end of the lever 31 is preferably bifurcated to engage the lugs 30 and operate the carrier 17 in either direction. (See Figs. 9and 10.) The shaft 33 of the crank is provided with means to operate it,

preferably a band-wheel 35, with a handle 36,

so it may be rotated manually or by power, as desired.

In the drawings, 37 is the shaft, 38 is the web, and 39 is the wrist forming the crankshaft 33. Upon the wrist 39 I mount the lever 31, above described. The lower end of the lever 31 is pivoted to a bolt or slide 40, which has a vertical movement in and is confined to a vertical slot 40 in the frame, whereby a movable fulcrum is provided which permits the entire lever 31 to be raised and lowered vertically by the rotation of the crank-shaft 33. The upper end of the lever 31 is described above.

The mode of operation is as follows: As the crank-shaft 33 is rotated it carries the lever 31 with it upward,forward,downward,and backward. The lower part being held in a vertical plane by the guide-slot 40, the backward and forward motion is communicated by the upper bifurcated part to the lugs 30 when engaged, while the upward and downward motion raises the bifurcated end of the lever 31 into engagement and out of engagement, as shown, whereby the carrier 17 is moved intermittently forward or backward. The length of the actuatingthrow of the lever is adjusted to equal two spaces between the cross-bars to accommodate the distances between the labeling devices. There is a double-curved pawl 41 (see Figs. 9 and 10) attached to the frame 26 and adjusted to engage the lugs 42 (formed by projecting the ends of the cross-bars beyond their journals) at each end of the throw of the lever, one at one end and the other at the other end. These pawls 41 are actuated by springs 43, so that they are held in engagement until they are lifted up by the ends of the bifurcated lever 31. v

The purpose of two pawls 41 so adjusted is to lock the carrier 17 in place against both forward and backward movements and also permit a reversible movement of the carrier. By this locking construction the carrier 17 is held rigidly in place while the labeling devices, hereinafter described, are being operated upon the bottles, and the whole construction provides an automatic intermittent motion permitting such locking and stoppage of the carrier. 1

The mucilage-case 44 is a hollow receptacle or box constructed, preferably, of flexible rubber, as follows: The bottom part 45, conforming to the surface of the article upon which the label is to be appliedin the present instance to the rounded surface of the bottle 18, as shown in Fig. 3is of the size and 3 shape of the label to be used. The surface of the way through its thickness. The rubher over these orifices is slitted through, preferably,by two short slits 47 crossing each other centrally at right angles, forming an entrance, when they are opened or separated,

spread out by the pressure, distributing the mucilage over the surface of the part impinged against. For the purpose of securing a still more uniform and perfect dist-ribution I may also cover the perforated bottom with a thin canvas, (not shown), through whichthe mucilage may pass in finer distribution onto the bottle 18. By this construction I provide for a thin coating of mucilage delivered upon the bottle 18 of the exact size and shape of the label to be attached, which will not spread beyond its limit.

The label-holder consists of a case 49, open at both ends and of such shape and size in cross-sections as to correspond with and conform to the label to be used. The labels 50 are retained therein by retaining-supports 51, which also permit them to be drawn out singly from the bottom, as hereinafter described. In the drawings such retaining-supports 51 are shown as narrow retaining-plates extending entirely across the bottom on opposite sides of the case and preferably inclined downwardly and inwardly and upon which the ends of the labels rest. The labels 50 are further supported centrally between their ends on both sides of the case 49 by an automatic label-supporter. (Shown in Figs. 12 and 13.) The construction of this device is as follows: A supporting-rod 52 is held in place on the case 49 at each end by attachment to bosses 53 on the case. A stiff wire is passed through a roller 54 and its ends are turned upward and coiled around the supporting-rod 52, forming the roller-arm 55, and then turned downward at an acute angle to the roller-arm 55, forming the hook-arm 56, and the extreme ends are then turned inward, forming hooks 57, which pass under and support the labels 50. The stiffness of the wire is such that the motion laterally of the roller 54 moves the hooks 57 by a lever, the fulcrum of which is the eye formed by the coiled wire on the supporting-rod 52, the power being applied to the roller-arms 55 in moving the hooks in and out of engagement with the labels by their arms 56. The weight of the roller tends to keep the hooks 57 in normal position supporting the labels 50; but to aid them and make the action more posi tive I provide springs'58 to actuate the arms, preferably the roller-arms 55. The preferable form is a spiral spring-wire 5S, wound ,around the supporting-rod 52, with an upper looped end 59 resting against the case 49 and its lower ends attached to the roller-arms 55.

A plunger 60 is fitted and has a limited movement within the case 49. Referring to Fig. 12, the vertically-dotted lines 61 show its front and rear sides, the angular dotted lines 62 show its chamfered bottom, and the curved dotted lines 63 the impinging surface of the bottom, which extends entirely across the case 49, as shown in Fig. 13. I prefer to recess the bottom of the plunger, as shown by the dotted lines 64, and in such recess place a piece of soft rubber 65, adapted to form a cushioned impinging surface, which for bottles is curved to conform to the rounded side. On the upper four corners of the plunger are projections or posts 66 for the attachment of the spring-pawls 67. A stem 68 is attached centrallyto the plunger 60, by which it is supported and operated, as hereinafter described.

The label-case 49 is attached to the plunger 60 by a connecting spring-ratchet device. (Shown in Figs. 12, 13, 14, and 15.) Its construction is as follows: Aslot 69 is cut through the case 49, and a flat ratchet-bar 7 0, whose front is shown in Fig. 15 and its end in Fig. 16, is placed therein. At the lower end of the slot 69 a portion of the case is swaged outwardly to form arecess 71 to hold and permit a vertical movement of the lower straight end 72 of the ratchet-bar 70. The upper hooked end 73 of this bar is passed inside of the case and moved up until the hook can be passed down over the top of the wall of the case, as shown in Fig. 13, and the lower end 72 into the slotted swaged recess 71. Thus placed the ratchet-bar is held in position at its ends by the wall of the case 49 and the walls of the plunger 60, with a limited motion vertically, the upper corrugated tooth 74 of the ratchet preventing it from being lifted out of position and limiting its upward movement. Its downward movement is checked by engagement of the hook end 73 with the wall of the case 49. A spring click or pawl 67 is attached to the projection or post 66 on the up per corners of the plunger 60, engaging the interdental. spaces of the ratchet 7 0 by a projecting curved end 75.

In operation the case 49 hangs on the plunger 60 by means of its attached spring-pawls 67 engaging with the ratchets 70, confined to its guides in the case. As the plunger 60 is moved downward all the parts move with it until the rollers 54 impinge against the bottle. As the device moves farther downward the weight of the case operates the rollers 54, causing them to move outward until the bottom of the case impinges against the bottle, thereby disengaging the hooks from under the labels. At this pointthe case remains stationary while the plunger moves on down, the ratchets moving with it in their guides until its downward limit is reached and the labels are firmly pressed upon the bottle centrally by the curved surface 63 of the bottom. As the labels are used out of the case the relation of the bottom of the plunger to them is preserved by the pawl traveling over the inter-dental spaces of the ratchet and engaging a lower corrugation, so that when the plunger is raised the release of pressure is measured by the limit of travel of the ratchet in its guides. Thelabels assume the position of the attached label 76 at points of greatest pressure of the plunger. As the plunger rises the case remains stationary until the limited movement of the ratchet has been reached, relieving the unattached labels from pressure to the extent of such limit, and as they are released from pressure they resume by resiliency their horizontal position, but the attached label is held on the bottle by adhesion, whereby a space is created between them for the entrance of the central supporting-hooks, these positions being shown in Fig. 12; Y Vhen the ratchets have reached their limited movement, they engage the case, which then commences to rise with the plunger, releasing the pressure on the rollers, which when the case has been raised a short distance resume their normal position by means of their weight and the action of their actuatingspring 58, thereby causing the hooks57 to engage the unattached labels 50, as shown in Figs. 12 and 13. As the case rises the attached labels remain upon the bottle.

The label-presser consists of a pressuresheet 77, of flexible material, preferably rubber, of size and shape to conform to the label. This sheet 77 is held between two rods 78, to which its ends are attached, and these rods 78 are suspended from a holder-frame 79 by strong plates or wires 80, adapted to hold the two rods apart almost the full length of the pressure-sheet 77 and to spring laterally. The plates or springs 80 are of sufficient stiff ness to force down the rods 78 and cause the pressure-sheet 77 to press firmly upon the attached labels, and the resilience of the springs 80 is such that such action causes the pressure-sheet 77 to closely and firmly press the attached label 76 at all points upon the bottle 18. Such construction gives better results than a rigid or cushioned sheet.

My preferred method of operating the labeling devices is to operate them simultaneously in series of three, as shown in Fig. 1. The preferred construction is as follows: Two up right pieces adapted to form guides 81 are attached to and projected above one side of the frame parallel to each other. On these guides 81 I mount a sliding frame 82, to the lower end of which I pivot a connecting-rod 83, the other end of which is mounted on the wrist 39 of the crank-shaft 33, whereby a vertical motion is imparted. Extension-brackets having upper arms 84 and lower arms 85 are attached to this sliding frame 82, extending out over the carrier 17. (See Fig. 2.) Crossbars 86 are attached firmly and adj ustably to the upper and lower arms of these brackets.

The labeling devices are all provided with They are made rectangular so as to hold the holder-frames 88 of the labeling devices in a fixed position relative to the article to be labeled.

The stems 68 are reduced in size just above the rectangular portions, so as to form shoulders 89, and above the shoulders they, are preferably made circular in cross-section. The circular parts 90 of these stems 68 pass through and are guidedby orifices in the upper cross-bars 86, and are also provided with a series of small holes 91, in which keys are placed to adjust the distances of the labeling devices from their points of suspension. Coiled springs 93 are placed over the circular parts of these stems 68, their lower ends resting against the said shoulders 89 and the upper ends against the under side of the upper cross-bar 86. It will be seen by this construction that as the labeling devices are moved down upon the article to be labeled by the action of the sliding frame 82 the force is applied upon the coiled springs 93, which impart it to the stems 68 by reason of their impingement against said shoulders 89, and that the resiliency of the springs is to a lim ited extent adjustable by changing the keys in the small holes 91 in the stems above the Y cross-bar 86. In the case of the label-plum ger 60 such adjustment may be utilized to accommodate the plunger 60 to the number of labels in the case 49 in addition to the mechanism above described. Y

The foregoing descriptions of the different devices which are combined in my improved labeling-machine give or suggest the mode of operation of each device.

Referring to the complete machine,as shown in Fig. 1, the general mode of operation is as follows: The revolution of the band-wheel 35, eitherbyabelt connected with power or manually by its handle 36, operates the carrier 17. as described, and also the sliding frame 82, as described, the two being adjusted to operate synchronously, so that when the carrier 17 remains stationary the sliding frame 82 is operated as described. The bottles 18 are delivered to the carrier 17 at the front end of the machine as the jaws 27 resume a radial position, which opens them. The carrier 17 travels a distance equal to two spaces between its cross-bars, because the distances apart of the labeling devices require that space, and then becomes stationary by the disengagement of the operating-lever 31, as described, and is locked in place by the pawls 41 while thus held stationary, and as the band-wheel continues to revolve the labeling devices are brought down by means of their connection with the sliding frame 82 and caused to operate upon the bottles 18 underneath, as described, the mucilage-case at giving a coating of mucilage to one bottle, the label-case 49 depositing; a label upon a second bottle, and the label-presser sheet 77 pressing a label firmly on the third bottle, as shown in Fig. 3. As the band-wheel 35 continues to revolve these labeling devices are raised and the carrier 17 is moved forward, as described, and the operation becomes continuous.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

1. In a labeling-machine a carrier for the bottles or articles to be labeled mounted. on a frame and adapted to receive, hold and carry them to, under and beyond the labeling devices; means to operate said carrier automatically with an intermittent motion, so that the articles to be labeled are held stationary, severally or in series, when under the labeling devices, at the moment of being labeled; a mucilage-case adapted to deliver a coating of mucilage of a given form and size from its bottom upon the article to be labeled; a label holder adapted to deliver a label singly from its bottom when pressed upon said mucilage-coated surface; a labelpresser adapted to press the entire surface of the label firmly upon the article to be labeled; and means to operate said mucilage-case, label-holder and label-presser upon articles to be labeled as they are brought in place underneath said devices by said carrier.

In a labeling-machine having an endless carrier for the articles to be labeled, means to operate the same with an intermittent mction; consisting of a crank shaft mounted in hearings in the frame; lugs attached to said carrier; a lever mounted centrally on the wrist of said crank-shaft its upper end adapted to engage said lugs, when the wrist carries the lever over its axis of revolution, and to impart a given distance of travel, and. its lower end serving as a movable fulcrurn, and a frame with a guide-slot for said movable fulcrum.

3. In a labeling-machine the combination of a carrier consisting of an endless belt with cross'bars attached at such distances apart as to admit of a single article to be labeled to be placed between them; extensions to said cross-bars; metal links provided with eyes at each end through which the said extensions pass and project, holding the crossbars apart and forming endless link chains on both sides of said belt; and alever adapted at its upper end to engage said extensions of the cross-bars and operate the carrier.

4. In a labelingunachine having a carrier 7 for the articles to be labeled, a crank-shaft mounted in bearings in the frame; lugs attached to said carrier; two pawls attached to the frame adapted to engage lugs attached to the carrier at their opposite ends respec tively; a lever mounted centrally on said crank-shaft, its upper end adapted to operate the carrier and engage and raise said pawls out of engagement, while so operating the carrier, and its lower end pivoted to a movable fulcrum; and a frame provided with a guide-slot for the movable fulcrum.

5. In a labeling-machine, a mucilage-case holding the mucilage provided with a flexible slitted or perforated bottom adapted to retain the mucilage when free from upward pressure, and to permit the How of mucilage from the case through it so as to impart a thin coating upon the article to be labeled, when pressed upward by impingement thereon.

6. In a labeling-machine, a mucilage-case constructed of flexible rubber, the bottom of which is of the shape of the article to which the label is to be applied, and is provided with numerous small passages-for the mucilage, and adapted to deliver a coating of mucilage of the exact form of the label to be used upon the article to be labeled.

7. In a labeling-machine, a mucilage-case provided with a rubber bottom whose surface is provided with numerous small orifices, uniformly distributed and extending about twothirds through its thickness, the other third being slitted entirely through to the interior of the case, adapted to be opened by pressure upon the article to be labeled so as to form passages for the mucilage, and to close and retain the mucilage when the pressure is removed, the whole adapted to deliver a coating of mucilage of the form and size of the label to be used.

8. In a labeling-machine, a label-case proyided with means to retain labels and to permit them to be delivered singly from its bottom; a plunger moving within the case provided with extensions; means to operate the plunger within the case so as to press the labels upon the articles to be labeled with a given force; ratchet-bars secured to said cases so as to have a limited movement; springpawls attached to said extensions engaging said ratchet-bars, and adapted to travel over the ratchet-teeth a limited distance when the case is held stationary by impingement upon the article to be labeled.

9. In a labeling-machine a label-case pro vided with narrow retaining-plates for sup porting the ends of the labels; centralautomatic supports for the labels on each side consisting of a supporting-rod attached to the case, a lever fulcrumed on said rod provided with double arms, two of the arms, one on each side, terminating in hooks adapted to engage the labels, and the other two arms connected to each other by a cross-bar with an intervening roller for operating the same.

10. In a labeling-machine, labeling devices adapted to operate by their impingement upon the articles to be labeled; a slidingframe mounted in guides on the main frame and provided with arms adapted to hold in place the stems supporting the labeling devices; vertical stems for the labeling devices; springs arranged between the arms and stems adapted to provide a yielding or cushioned pressure upon the labeling devices, and means to operate the sliding frame.

11. In a labeling-machine, an endless carrier adapted to support and carry the articles to be labeled, provided with mechanism for the engagement with the carrier of a locking 

